Sept. 9 TEXAS: A Lesson Before Dying----By Romulus Linney; Directed by Wayne DeHart Sept. 15-Oct. 2, 2005 (Previews Sept. 10-14) The Ensemble Theatre will launch its new 2005-2006 Mainstage Season with "A Lesson Before Dying" by playwright Romulus Linney, based on the award winning novel by Ernest J. Gaines. Set in the segregated society of Louisiana in 1948, it is the powerful story of a young Black man wrongly accused.....and placed on Death Row. With the increase of state moratoriums on death penalty executions and protests over the impending Texas execution of Francis Newton, who is scheduled to be executed on September 14th, it is also a timely production. Like the novel, the play engages an audience in what Mr. Gaines describes as the test of "grace under pressure." The novel is required reading for many school districts across the country including Houston. "A Lesson Before Dying," a literary classic, has received many honors including a Pulitzer Prize nomination, and Best Fiction Award from three prestigious organizations. Locally, 'Lesson' was the inaugural literary work for Houston's Books on the Bayou program, and was also presented in a marathon 8-hour reading by Inprint, Houston's premiere literary organization. It was also featured in 1997 in "Oprah's Book Club." Mr. Gaines has been heralded with literary awards, which have included a fellowship for his lifetime achievements from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Romulus Linney, one of the most acclaimed living American playwrights, has authored more than three novels, 5 anthologies and more than 40 plays. He has taught at many universities including Columbia, Princeton, and Universities of North Carolina and Pennsylvania. On his adaptation of 'Lesson', Linney asserts, "I think that when you do an adaptation for theater, it's either a marriage or a love affair...and so tremendous is my esteem and affection of many years for Ernest Gaines, there was no question but that I would be a very faithful adapter...which I did do." Wayne DeHart, director for the production, is a veteran artist entering his 24th year of association with the theatre. Last seen on The Ensemble stage as "Memphis" in Two Trains Running, DeHart reflects on the resonance of "Lesson." "We are privileged to watch seven stories of dignity and self respect as they entwine and intermix; we are given lessons in love, faith, integrity and self esteem.....we are all students of life and teachers of experience." The production features a stellar cast of artists returning to The Ensemble stage: Cheray Josiah, Larry Don Johnson, Belinda Simmons and Tracey E. Wheat (alternating with Simmons); a dynamic corps of artists is also making their first appearance with The Ensemble: Raymond McNeel, Joshua Gray and Sir Charles Black and Nicholas Lewis, headlining in lead roles. The play premieres on Thursday, September 15th with a media reception at 6 p.m. with honored guest, Ernest J. Gaines, and Opening Night reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by the performance at 7:30 p.m. "A Lesson Before Dying" is rated (PG) for parents who may wish to exercise discretion in viewing by young children. Performance Times: Previews: Saturday, Sept. 10th 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11th 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14th 7:30 p.m. Thursdays 7:30 p.m. Fridays 8 p.m. Saturdays 2 p.m. Matinee and 8 p.m. Sundays 3 p.m. Matinee Ticket Info: For ticket information and groups sales, call the Box Office at (713) 520-0055. Ensemble Theatre is located at: 3535 Main St. Founded in 1976 by the late George Hawkins, The Ensemble Theatre has evolved to be the largest African-American professional theatre company in the U.S. that produces in-house and owns its own facility. It is truly one of Houston's finest historical cultural institutions. The theatre is a non-profit organization that houses three stages located on Main Street in the heart of Midtown. Each year the theatre presents a repertoire of critically acclaimed dramas, comedies and musicals that demonstrate the artistic ability of more than 250 professional local, regional and national artists and support staff. The theatre also has an educational touring program and a summer young performers training program. The Ensemble celebrated when the theatre accomplished 2 major milestones: the retirement of its $360,000 debt remaining from its $4.5 million capital campaign, and the dedication of a METRO commuter rail stop named in the theatre's honor. For more information, please visit the Website! (source: Theatreport) ********************************* Female may face death penalty; Houston woman indicted in Hutto homicide A Williamson County jury has indicted a Houston woman on a charge of capital murder. Sarai Gomez, 20, is accused of suffocating her boyfriend's 2-year-old daughter by shoving a soft taco down the girl's throat in May. Hutto police say Gomez moved to Hutto to live with the girl's father, after the two met in an Internet chatroom. Gomez remains in the Williamson County jail with a bond of $300,000. If convicted, she could face the death penalty. (source: KVUE News) ******************************** Leon man, 42, held on murder charges A 42-year-old Leon County man has been arrested on capital murder charges in the slaying of a Freestone County man, officials said. The body of Jerry Wayne Bailey, 44, was found Monday in a pasture off County Road 244 in Oakwood. Investigators with the Leon County Sheriff's Department secured an arrest warrant for Clifton Perry, 42, based on evidence collected from the pasture, spokesman Bill Vest said. Perry was arrested Wednesday after a Palestine police officer stopped the pickup he was driving. He remained at the Leon County Jail late Thursday on $500,000 bond, according to jail records. Officials with the Palestine Police Department contacted the Leon County Sheriff's Department on Wednesday after they impounded the pickup, which belonged to Bailey, Vest said. The truck is being analyzed by forensic investigators, he said. An autopsy is pending with the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office, and preliminary results could be available Friday or early next week, Vest said. (source: The Bryan-College Station Eagle) ************************* City asks judges to lift bench-time tracking order Some of the city's elected municipal court judges are spending less than 90 minutes a day on the bench hearing cases, despite a large backlog, according to city clerk records. And because that issue has been raised at City Hall, the 5 municipal judges signed an order Tuesday warning that anyone who keeps track of their time will be held in contempt of court. The El Paso City Council, at a special meeting Thursday, responded by giving the judges 24 hours to rescind the order or face legal action by the city attorney's office. "They don't want us documenting their time," Mayor John Cook said, noting that the council discussed the backlog of thousands of traffic ticket and other misdemeanor cases during this summer's budget sessions. "It caused consternation (among the judges) that the City Council was looking at it, and they want a separation of powers," Cook said. "They're the judicial branch, and they don't seem to think the executive branch or the legislative branch of city government should be looking at them." Cook attempted to contact the presiding municipal court judge, Regina Arditti, to tell her of the council's action immediately after Thursday's late afternoon meeting, but did not reach her. Nor could the El Paso Times reach Arditti. The judges' order reads that "the practice of recording, monitoring or documenting any elected judge is improper and shall cease immediately." The order was aimed chiefly at City Clerk Richarda Momsen, whose office has routinely tracked the judges' bench time for years, Cook said. As presiding judge, Arditti is paid $35,300 a year, and the other 4 judges receive $30,000 a year, plus car allowances, to perform courtroom duties that are understood to be part-time. The city clerk's time record of court sessions shows that for June and the preceding 9 months, Arditti averaged 57 to 108 minutes a day on the bench for the 15 to 18 days she heard cases each month. The other judges' bench times were about the same except for Judge Maria Ramirez, whose average times each month often exceeded 2 hours a day. Last month, she sent Momsen a 5-part court order on how to do her job, adding duties and including a warning against monitoring Ramirez's time in court. "Your conduct of monitoring an elected official's time is inappropriate," Ramirez wrote, suggesting that Momsen should "monitor all elected officials and report the time they enter and leave their offices at City Hall." (source: El Paso Times) ********************** Jury duty no-shows summoned to court in Fort Bend County -- Judge calls for explanations from 200 of about 330 who skipped court About 200 people who did not show up for jury duty in Fort Bend County last month may find themselves in a courtroom next week - but not as potential jurors. Sheriff's deputies will serve summonses ordering the absentees to appear in court to explain to a judge why they did not show up Aug. 30 for jury duty. "It will be to show cause on why they should not be held in contempt of court," state District Judge Thomas Culver said Thursday. Culver said that out of 750 people called for duty, about 330 failed to show up. He said the 200 people who will be summoned were chosen at random from the group because of limited space in his courtroom. "I felt like that was a fairly representative sample," he said. Fort Bend County calls jurors to appear every Tuesday morning and afternoon. The decision to issue the summonses was prompted by an incident Aug. 23. There were not enough people in the jury pool to fill panels for trials that day, and state District Judge Brady Elliott ordered deputies to search the courthouse for jurors. Culver said it was the 1st time in at least 6 years that the jury pool could not supply enough jurors for trials. About 20 % of the 750 called on the morning of Aug. 23 appeared, a number that is usually sufficient for the day's judicial activity. On that day, however, more jury trials started than officials anticipated. Another reason for issuing the summonses is that the number of people showing up for jury duty has gradually decreased through the years, Culver said. "I believe it was the appropriate time to make an issue of it and remind people that it is a civic responsibility," he said. "It is a jury summons, not a jury invitation." Failure to appear for jury duty can be punishable by a fine of between $100 to $1,000, but Culver said the intent of the hearing is not punitive. "I anticipate trying to get compliance out of them rather than just get money out of them," he said. "We just want them to show up for jury duty." District Clerk Glory Hopkins said a smaller percentage of people normally appear for the morning session, about 20 %, compared with the afternoon jury call of about 35 % when only 450 are called. "We have no idea why," she said. "It's a big mystery." (source: Houston Chronicle) NEW MEXICIO: Prosecutor to seek death penalty in killing near Espanola Prosecutors say they intend to seek the death penalty in a case involving 3 men accused of killing a man north of Espanola. An attorney for one of the men contends prosecutors waited too long to file the death penalty request. Defendants in the case are 23-year-old John Knight, 32-year-old Dion Martinez and 29-year-old Donald Hamilton. State police found the body of 26-year-old Jonathan Dick the night of March 12th, 2004, off Rio Arriba County Road 456. Hed been beaten and stabbed. (source: Associated Press) INDIANA: Matheney will seek clemency----His attorney says he should be spared because of mental illness. An attorney for Alan Matheney said the man convicted in 1990 of beating his former wife to death is requesting a clemency hearing before his execution date. One of Matheney's attorneys, Carol Heise, was in the process Thursday of preparing the appropriate documents to file today, the deadline for a clemency request. Last week, the Indiana Supreme Court set Sept. 28 as Matheney's execution date for the March 1989 murder of his ex-wife, Lisa Bianco, Mishawaka. He killed her while on an 8-hour pass from prison. "We're hopeful the governor will take into account his mental illness and the fact he saved a guard from serious injury or death," Heise said Thursday from her office at the Midwest Center for Justice in Evanston, Ill. Before the case reaches the governor, who has the final say on clemency or commuting a sentence, there will be a hearing before the Indiana Parole Board. The 1st part of that hearing is set for Sept. 19 at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, where Matheney has been on death row since his 1990 trial and where his execution by lethal injection is scheduled. At that session, the state parole board will hear from Matheney. The 2nd part of the hearing will be Sept. 26 in Indianapolis. This is when others on both sides of the case will be able to express their views about Matheney's execution. Each side will have 90 minutes that day to present the witnesses and evidence it believes the parole board needs to hear, Heise said. Matheney's action in saving a prison guard is one incident Heise has cited. She said that in 1993, Matheney alerted a prison supervisor about an offender who was planning to kill a corrections officer working in their unit. "Prison officials went looking for a weapon," Heise said, and found one: a metal bar in the bed of the inmate planning to kill the guard. In the incident report, it stated that if Matheney had not given prison officials the information, they "would have had a staff person seriously injured or killed," Heise added. At the clemency hearing, Heise hopes the parole board will consider that Matheney "remains grossly psychotic." "He has a psychotic delusional disorder that has been in existence for decades," she said. "It's inhumane to execute the mentally ill," Heise said passionately. If the state parole board turns down Matheney, the governor is the last resort. "Our hope is the governor is a part of the evolving standards of decency that mark a civilized society and that will guide him," Heise said. "And that when he considers all of the evidence of mental illness in this case and that this man saved a guard's life ... that he will show mercy." (source: South Bend Tribune)
